For many students, a summer internship is seen as a resume booster or simply a way to gain industry exposure. But if you’re interested in entrepreneurship or starting your own venture someday, an internship can be much more. It can be a testing ground for the skills, mindset and experiences that future founders rely on.
The key is choosing your internship with intention.
Whether you’re still searching or already committed to a role, here’s how to make sure your summer experience actively contributes to your future startup journey.
Start With the Skills Your Future Startup Will Need
Instead of focusing only on job titles or company names, think about the skills you want to build. Startups thrive on people who can adapt, solve problems and learn quickly.
According to CB Insights, one of the most widely cited startup research organizations, 42% of startups fail because they build products that don’t address a real market need. This highlights a critical truth for aspiring founders: understanding users and identifying real problems early on is essential to building something that lasts.
Internships that provide exposure to customers, users and real operational challenges help students develop these problem‑discovery skills long before launching a venture.
Startup‑oriented skills to look for include:
- Identifying and solving real‑world problems
- Understanding users and customer needs
- Working through ambiguity and uncertainty
- Collaborating across technical and non‑technical teams
Ask yourself: Which of these skills do I want to strengthen this summer? Are they built into this internship role?
Look for Internships That Offer Real Ownership
One of the biggest advantages of internships, especially in smaller teams or innovation-focused environments, is the opportunity to take ownership. Ownership means being trusted with meaningful work, not just completing assigned tasks.
This kind of responsibility builds skills that matter beyond a resume, from problem-scoping and decision-making to seeing an idea through execution capabilities that are just as critical when building a venture of your own.
Signs of a high-ownership internship include:
- Responsibility for a project from start to finish
- Opportunities to suggest ideas or improvements
- Exposure to decision-making processes
These experiences closely mirror startup life, where initiative matters more than hierarchy.
Ask yourself: Does my role allow me to influence outcomes, or am I mostly executing instructions?
Choose Environments That Encourage Learning and Experimentation
Entrepreneurship and intrapreneurship are rooted in experimentation: trying ideas, learning from failure and iterating quickly. Internships that encourage questions, feedback and exploration help you develop this mindset early, whether you’re working at a startup or within a larger organization.
Look for environments where:
- Mistakes are treated as learning opportunities
- Feedback is frequent and constructive
- Curiosity and initiative are encouraged
These are the same environments where startup founders and intrapreneurs learn, grow and create impact.
Ask yourself: Will this role encourage me to think outside of the job description, or will I be following a repetitive set of instructions?
Prioritize Exposure Over Comfort
Growth often happens outside your comfort zone. Internships that stretch you, whether through new responsibilities, unfamiliar industries or cross‑functional work, can significantly shape your entrepreneurial thinking.
For example:
- A technical student working closer to customers or product decisions
- A business student collaborating with engineers or designers
This exposure helps you see how different parts of a venture come together.
Ask yourself: What’s one uncomfortable but valuable skill this internship could help me build?
Learn From Builders: A Founder’s Perspective
To reinforce the importance of learning through experience, consider watching “The Puzzle of Motivation” by Dan Pink. The talk explores autonomy, mastery and purpose, three drivers behind meaningful work and innovation.
As you watch, reflect on:
- How autonomy impacts creativity
- Why ownership leads to better outcomes
- How purpose shapes long‑term motivation
This mindset applies directly to both internships and startups.
Mentorship Matters More Than the Company Name
While brand names can be appealing, the people you learn from often matter more. Working closely with mentors who are builders, founders or experienced operators can shape how you think and make decisions.
Great mentors:
- Explain the why behind decisions
- Invite questions and discussion
- Share lessons from real‑world experience
Learning how people think is just as valuable as learning what they do.
Ask yourself: How can I build mentor relationships with experienced managers and team members that I will be working with?
Turning Everyday Work Into Entrepreneurial Insight
Your internship can be a powerful source of future ideas if you pay attention. Many startups begin with a simple observation: “There has to be a better way to do this.”
Internships give you a front‑row seat to inefficiencies, unmet needs and frustrated users, often the seeds of future ventures.
“My internship at AdviNOW gave me the opportunity to work on high‑impact projects where I had real technical ownership. Being trusted with responsibility made this an incredibly rewarding experience and helped me better understand how products are built in a real‑world setting.”
– Aakash, Summer 2025 ASU Blackstone LaunchPad Intern
Employers echo this value when interns are given meaningful work.
“Working with our intern allowed us to build new strategies and map out portfolios that directly supported our company’s growth. The experience was so impactful that we ultimately hired him.”
– BreatheEV, Summer 2025 ASU Blackstone LaunchPad Intern Host
Together, these perspectives highlight why internships that emphasize ownership, learning and real‑world exposure are especially valuable for students interested in entrepreneurship.
Using ASU Resources to Land the Right Internship
To find the right internship, you need to do more than a simple online search. It helps to know where to look and how to stay intentional.
Platforms like Handshake connect students directly with employers hiring ASU talent, while ASU Career Services offers resume reviews, mock interviews and career guidance. Even your professors can open doors through industry connections, research projects or referrals.
Create a System That Works for You
Instead of applying randomly, build a consistent routine. You might apply to three positions per week, adjusting based on your schedule.
Some students prefer quantity, submitting more applications with a general resume. Others focus on quality, tailoring their resume slightly for each role. Choose the approach that works best for you.
One student shared that making small, intentional tweaks to their resume helped them better understand each role and led to more meaningful conversations during interviews.
Using a simple spreadsheet to track applications, interviews and follow‑ups can help you stay organized and confident throughout the process.
The Red Car Theory: What You Focus on Expands
The Red Car Theory suggests that once you focus on something, like a red car, you start noticing it everywhere. The same applies to internships. When you clearly define the skills you want to build and the problems you’re interested in, opportunities become easier to recognize.
Strengthen Your Journey With Edson E+I Mentorship
Beyond applications and interviews, Edson E+I Mentoring offers experience‑based guidance that helps students turn internships and early ideas into meaningful next steps.
Through program‑based mentorship (such as Blackstone LaunchPad and Venture Devils) or open mentorship via the Edson E+I Mentor Hub, students can connect with founders, industry professionals and innovators who understand how ideas grow in real‑world settings.
Pairing internship experience with mentorship helps students reflect more deeply, recognize problems worth solving and move forward with confidence.
Embrace Feedback and Keep the Relationship Going
Not every project will go perfectly, and that’s okay. Startups are built through testing, feedback and iteration. Treat feedback as information, not criticism; each challenge is a learning opportunity.
When the internship ends, don’t let the relationship end with it. Staying in touch with managers, mentors and teammates through occasional check-ins and connecting on LinkedIn can lead to future roles, collaborations or recommendations.
Your Next Step: Choose With Intention
After reading this, take one small step:
- Identify one startup skill you want to build
- Ask your manager or mentor for ownership of a project
- Start an idea journal based on what you observe at work
- Explore Edson E+I programs, events or workshops
Your internship is not just a job. It’s an opportunity to shape how you think, build and create. Choose it with intention, and let it work for your future startup.
